The 60-day War Powers deadline falls on Friday. What could happen next?
The White House hasn't said what it will do when the deadline is up.
As President Donald Trump continues to keep a military presence in the Middle East, the 60-day deadline for the administration to seek congressional authorization is up on Friday.
Under the War Powers Resolution, the president is required to notify Congress that he has initiated military action within 48 hours of the start of operations. That kickstarts a 60-day clock in which the president is allowed to continue operations without needing an authorization from Congress.
Once those 60 days are up, though, the president must either present a case to Congress that more time is needed to withdraw U.S. forces from the region or seek congressional approval to continue the operations.
It does not appear the administration has plans to do either of those things based on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's testimony in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday.
"We are in a ceasefire right now, which our understanding means the 60-day clock pauses or stops in a ceasefire," Hegseth told Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine.
Kaine was dubious that the statute would support Hegseth's claim.
"It's going to pose a really important legal question for the administration ... we have serious constitutional concerns and we don't want to layer those with additional statutory concerns," he said.
He later told reporters "I have grave concern, based on that answer, that the White House does not intend to honor the 60 days."
Asked on Thursday for comment on the upcoming deadline, the White House would not say whether it would move forward with a formal authorization request to Congress, only that there are "active conversations with the Hill on this topic."
"The administration is in active conversations with the Hill on this topic. Members of Congress who try to score political points by usurping the Commander-in-Chief's authority would only undermine the United States Military abroad, which no elected official should want to do," a White House official said in a statement to ABC News.
The Pentagon has said it will ask for $200 billion in supplemental funding for the campaign, though Hegseth said in Thursday's hearing that the request would not be that much.
Jules Hurst III, the Pentagon comptroller, testified in Wednesday's hearing before the House Armed Services Committee that the war has so far cost $25 billion.
Congress left the town for its May recess after it finished its business on Thursday and isn't expected to be back in session until May 11 for the Senate and May 12 for the House.
What are Congress' options?
Congress has two potential options: continue its attempts at passing a War Powers Resolution to force an end to hostilities in the region, or pass an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), which would give the president the authorization "to use all necessary and appropriate force."
Democrats have now attempted six times to push forward an Iran War Powers Resolution to no avail as Republicans have argued that the president is well within his authority to act against the imminent threat they argue Iran poses.
Some Republicans have also now begun to interpret the 30-day extension under the War Powers Resolution as giving Trump an extra month before Congress would need to take a vote on the war, despite the law saying that extension is meant for the safe withdrawal of troops.
Those War Powers efforts from Democrats are expected to continue when the Senate returns from its weeklong recess. Sen. Rand Paul had been the only Republican to vote for the Democrats' resolutions to start debate until Sen. Susan Collins crossed party lines to vote for the sixth attempt on Thursday.
There appears to be more of an appetite -- though not much -- from Republicans to go the path of authorizing an AUMF. On the Senate floor Thursday, GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she is currently working with senators to introduce an AUMF after the May recess.
"I have been working with several of my colleagues on an authorization for the use of military force. Now this is an authorization, but is also a restraint. It's not a blank check. It would not grant open-ended authority," Murkowski said. "Instead, it would seek to establish a framework requiring the president to come to Congress with clearly defined political and military objectives. It would require metrics for success, notice of any changes in objectives, and an exit criteria. It would ultimately ensure that Congress is engaged."
A brief history of Congress and war
The Constitution gives Congress the sole power to formally declare war against other nations. The last time it exercised that power was at the outset of World War II.
Most overseas conflicts since then have relied on an AUMF from Congress.
The War Powers Resolution of 1973, passed into law in the wake of the Vietnam War, includes several provisions aimed at keeping the president's military powers somewhat in check. It requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours that he has initiated the use of military force.
No Congress has ever used the War Powers Resolution to force the executive branch to end hostilities.
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